Elbow lever pivot clamp

ABSTRACT

The invention comprises an improved elbow lever pivot clamp which includes a shield or guide for the fork opening to prevent injuries to the fingers or thumb when the handle of the clamp is grasped and the clamp is operated. In the preferred embodiment a curved tongue extends into the fork opening and prevents entrance of the fingers or thumb.

United States Patent [191 Buchenau Apr. 30, 1974 ELBOW LEVER PIVOT CLAMP [75] Inventor: Michel Buchenau, Altheim, Germany [73] Assignee: De-Sta-Co Division of Dover Corporation, Detroit, Mich.

[22] Filed: Jan. 4, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 321,014

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 18, 1972 Germany 2205779 [52] US. Cl. 24/248 D, 269/228 [51] Int. Cl A44b 21/00 [58] Field of Search 24/248 D; 269/228 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,149,832 9/1964 McPherson 269/228 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,225,073 9/1966 Germany 30/142 Primary ExaminerDonald A. Griffin Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Farley, Forster and Farley x v [57] ABSTRACT The invention comprises an improved elbow lever pivot clamp which includes a shield or guide for the fork opening to prevent injuries to the fingers or thumb when the handle of the clamp is grasped and the clamp is operated. In the preferred embodiment a curved tongue extends into the fork opening and prevents entrance of the fingers or thumb.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTEUAPR30 I M 3;807',001

HGI i ELBOW LEVER PIVOT CLAMP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a particular type of elbow lever pivot clamp for clamping work pieces. Such clamps are typically used in the field of body engineering for automotive vehicles and include a rigidly arranged base portion comprising two parallel plates spaced apart, a clamp lever pivotally supported between the plates and an operating lever formed as a handle at one end and at the other end forked to overlap the two parallel plates and connected thereto by a second pivotal support. The operating lever is connected by a pivot lever to the clamp lever with pivotal connections of all the respective members positioned to provide a toggle locking action in closed position.

Pivot clamps of the above type are already well known from US. Pat. No. 3,149,832. Such pivot clamps have been successful for clamping purposes; however, their manipulation has been found to have a disadvantage relating to the safety of the operator. If the operating lever is not grasped with the required attention, a finger or thumb can be caught between the upper end of the pivot or elbow lever and the forked portion of the operating lever. Because of the toggle action of the clamp, high leverage forces are developed which may be applied to the trapped thumb or finger resulting in injuries which may be severe enough to cause loss of fingertips.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention comprises means to prevent the thumb or fingers of the operator from entering the fork opening of the operating lever. The open area between the upper end of the pivot lever and the fork is shielded by a finger guide or finger abutment. Preferably, the shield is provided by an extending upper end of the pivot lever formed as a curved, smooth tongue extending into the fork opening. Thus the elbow lever pivot clamp is provided with means simple to manufacture and incorporate on the clamp and which render impossible injuries of the type mentioned above.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the pivot clamp;

and

FIG. 2 is a front view of the pivot clamp.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIGS. 1 and 2, the operating lever 1 and the clamp lever 2 are pivotally supported in a conventional fashion between or on the support plates 4 of the pivot clamp. The pivot lever 3 is pivotally connected to the operating lever l and clamp lever 2 in conventional fashion as shown. The operating lever 1 is forked as generally denoted by 7 to create an opening 5 in which the pivot lever 3 moves. Without the shield the upper end 6 moves into the opening 5 when lowering the operating lever l and therefore can cause the injuries mentioned above.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the finger guide is formed as an inwardly curved tongue 8 extending from the upper end 6 of the pivot lever 3 up into the opening 5 of the fork 7. Therefore, even if a finger or thumb is placed over the opening 5, no injury can occur when pivoting the operating lever l downwardly to open the clamp since the tongue 8 prevents the finger or thumb from being pinched by the upper end 6 into the opening Typically, to manufacture the preferred embodiment, the pivot lever 3 is blanked and folded from sheet metal. Therefore the sheet metal blank for the pivot lever 3 incorporates integrally the tongue 8 and renders unnecessary the provision of a separate part to prevent injury.

I claim:

1. A clamp comprising a base, a clamp lever pivotally supported on the base, a forked operating lever pivotally supported on the base, a pivot lever pivotally connecting the clamp lever and operating lever and spaced from the axes thereof, said pivot lever having an upper end adjacent the fork opening of the operating lever, the improvement characterized by a curved tongue shield extending from the pivot lever into the fork opening to prevent entrapment of the operators fingers or thumb between the pivot lever upper end and the fork opening upon operative movement of the operating lever. 

1. A clamp comprising a base, a clamp lever pivotally supported on the base, a forked operating lever pivotally supported on the base, a pivot lever pivotally connecting the clamp lever and operating lever and spaced from the axes thereof, said pivot lever having an upper end adjacent the fork opening of the operating lever, the improvement characterized by a curved tongue shield extending from the pivot lever into the fork opening to prevent entrapment of the operator''s fingers or thumb between the pivot lever upper end and the fork opening upon operative movement of the operating lever. 